kathryncampe Reviews

Poor Things (2023)

Gloriously unique and charming masterpiece

[10/10 · 12 March 2024]

I adored this movie. It is a work of art. It is stunning visually, Emma Stone is fantastic, and I was captivated throughout. It is wonderfully funny at times with some ridiculous lines that are highly quotable.

It lends itself to multiple interpretations but to me I took away an overarching perspective on society. How societal rules and expectations dominate and restrict what we do and how we act. For Bella she has a child's mind and has no experience of the outside world so she is seeing everything with fresh eyes. She wants to learn and experience everything with little concern for what others may think or what is the 'proper' thing to do.

Perhaps we could all learn a little from Bella Baxter - to explore what interests us and experience life for what it simply is at the time - the good and the bad.

The Gentlemen (2019)

Guy Richie at his best

[10/10 · 13 June 2020]

My favourite Guy Richie film has always been Snatch hands down but The Gentleman is equally as good just a little more current and 'gentrified'. Whilst a completely different vibe and story, it maintains the style of story telling which I love most in Guy Richie movies - strong characters with great introductions and development that eventually all tie into the same event.

Awesome cast, brilliant characters and some hilarious moments pretty much summing up British culture. I was particularly impressed with Hugh Grant who nails the sleazy reporter perfectly. I never thought I would say this about Hugh Grant in any movie but I think he is my favourite part!

Our House (I) (2018)

Decent ghost story which deserves more credit

[6/10 · 13 June 2020]

I really don't think this movie deserves some of the bad reviews. It's not a ground breaking horror film and it's not trying to terrify or gross you out with gore, it's just a simple ghost story but one worth watching.

Not as much as a slow burn as I was lead to believe, I think it builds suspense well. If you want something action packed and "scary" this isn't it but it is an enjoyable watch and I always think with effective ghost stories less is more.

Ready or Not (I) (2019)

Fun and Entertaining Dark Comedy

[6/10 · 6 June 2020]

I enjoyed this light hearted horror. It doesn't take itself seriously but commits to the characters and the genuine horror experienced by the unfortunate bride. Definitely a movie that is fun to watch with friends and when you aren't looking to watch anything too heavy.

Underwater (2020)

No buy in, no originality, just no

[2/10 · 5 June 2020]

I love sci-fi, horror, action, survival... this film touch on it all but failed so bad to get me engaged. Firstly the action happened straight away, there was no character introduction or development, no chemistry between the cast. I genuinely did not care if they all died - that's a big problem. A forgettable movie with uninspiring monsters and uninteresting characters.

Midsommar (2019)

Awesomely Uncomfortable Watch

[8/10 · 5 June 2020]

At times this film is difficult to watch either due to graphic violence, disgust or just plain strangeness, but you can't look away . With morbid curiosity you have to keep watching to figure out what the hell is going on!

This film has more originality than most horrors I have seen in a while and it wasn't predictable. You are just as lost as to what is going on as the young people you are watching experience it.

The experience of grief which is handled by the lead character also gives the film weight and makes you empathise with the character on a deeper level than often two dimensional characters in the horror genre.

Penny Dreadful (2014–2016)

Binge-worthy Gothic Victorian Goodness

[10/10 · 5 June 2020]

I completely binged all three seasons and loved it more and more as the show went on. I adore dark, gothic, Victorian era stories and this has everything you could hope for.

That said, I wasn't a fan straight away. In the first couple of episodes I found some of the character choices cliche and overused. I was particularly irritated by the fact it seemed to be a copy of Alan Moore's The League of Extraordinary Gentleman but had no affiliation with the graphic novels. However, despite my reservations, I stuck with it and I am so glad I did. It does so much more with the characters to give them real depth and at times the writing is strongly emotive. It reflects on topics like immortality, religion and humanity which I feel makes this series so much more than just another go at some classic horror characters.

Character wise it's got a bit of everything for a gothic horror; witches, werewolves, vampires, magic, monsters plus the famous Dr Frankenstein and Dorian Gray. The Victorian styling and costume design is also wonderfully dark.

Eva Green is particularly spectacular. I believe this is the best performance I have personally seen from her. She is 100% committed. Her portrayal of a woman possessed is so haunting at times. I loved the development of her story throughout the seasons and the insight into the harrowing way psychiatric patients were "treated" in those times. I would recommend watching this series just for Eva Green.

Josh Hartnett's Ethan Chandler works perfectly as the love interest to balance Eva's character. The kind and caring tortured soul... who doesn't love that? The chemistry between the two is plentiful and goes such a long way to make the story end as tragic as it was.

Special mention for Frankenstein's monster or known as John Claire. He is a deep, emotional and poetic character. I enjoy clever writing and I feel the writing was best here. He was far from the monster he appeared to be and to the contrary all the other characters seemed far more monstrous in comparison, and I loved that.

Dorian Gray I felt was a little wasted towards the final season it almost seem they didn't know what to do with him, but I did like the speculation that an immortal person living for hundreds of years would become complacent, bored and uncaring... he's seen it all before.

I could not recommend this series more. If you love a bit of classic horror, gothic romance, and stunning Victorian era fashion... you are going to love it.

Mandy (I) (2018)

What have I just watched...?

[6/10 · 5 June 2020]

That was my first thought when the credits rolled. It's hard to explain how bizarre this film is, you have to just watch it and experience the madness.

It is a basic revenge story and the bad guys are a murderous hippy cult. So on the face of it - not too original... until you watch this total trip fest and see how the characters and story are presented.

The visuals are awesome if you love that dark 70/80s vibe and I think that's what I enjoyed most. Plus the music and sound in general really suited the ethereal, not quite of this world feel. LSD is a theme throughout the movie and I feel this is reflected in the way the movie is presented - so if that was the aim I think it achieved it well.

Some of the violence is pretty excessive so not for the faint hearted!

I don't think this is everyone's cup of tea but it certainly wasn't forgettable or like anything else I have seen recently. Bonus is that Nicholas Cage goes full Cage in the bathroom so that's always worth a watch.

Training Day (2001)

Denzel on spectacular form

[8/10 · 5 June 2020]

This movie is the slow unravelling of a cop who is charming and charismatic on the face of it but as the day goes on you see through Hoyt's eyes that Alonzo is not quite the super cop he seems.

I had no idea what to expect with this movie and the role was different for Denzel so I was pleasantly surprised. You instantly warm to Denzel's character. Even as his acts get gradually more and more questionable throughout the movie you want to believe it's not quite what it seems. Perhaps this is all a test, but no he is actually the bad guy. A loose cannon drunk on the power being a cop affords him leading him to a path of corruption.

Denzel's performance is excellent. I particularly liked the emotion behind him explaining to Hoyt why they can't do everything above board after murdering a drug dealer. Retrospectively looking at this scene you can tell he is a desperate man, like he doesn't really believe his own lies anymore but he has no choice. His fall from power at the end is also spectacular.

Credit to Hawke who played the naive and eager-to-please rookie. He was perfectly cast and was truly believable in the role.

One criticism I have of the story is that Hoyt's rescue of the girl being attacked which subsequently saved his life was a bit too convenient for me. LA is a huge place and what are the chances, in the same day!

Despite that a thoroughly enjoyable movie largely because of the excellent performances throughout, plus you have to love a Snoop cameo.